The Bitter and The Sweet Podcast

It's National Infertility Awareness Week and your girl turns 35 this month.  Join me for this special solo to talk about: turning 35, and coming to terms with what that means for our family National Infertility Awareness Week things I don't know anymore in my own story with infertility what I would say to someone on this journey what I would say to you if you love someone dealing with infertility...

What if perfectionism, procrastination, and people pleasing all share a root? And what if that root is...fear? Best-selling author Mary Marantz is here to tackle these things head on with us today! Join Mary and I as we talk about:  why we should quit playing small and HOW exactly we do that naming our fear and why it's lying to you wrestling with imposter syndrome how we over-responsible ourselve...

How do we trust God when our hearts are so broken we're not even sure how to pray?  My new friend Claudia Campbell is here to walk us through it. Claudia is the author of These Stones Remain: 60 Reflections on Finding Hope When Darkness Lingers . As the mom of multiple children in Heaven and twin girls on Earth, she is the wise and compassionate voice we need to help us grieve with hope. JUST WAIT...

Do you ever find yourself waiting for the other shoe to drop? What if we started anticipating God's goodness instead?    My friend Gaye Lindfors is an author, speaker, and absolute delight, and I'm so excited for you to get to hear from her today!   Join Gaye and I as we talk about:  Showing up for your life at every age and stage The gift of aging, and why we don't have to be afraid of it Why wom...

Six months after Hurricane Helene, a friend of mine who lives in Western North Carolina is here to tell her story. My friend Heidi Ashe is a lifelong resident of Western North Carolina. She and her husband are small business owners and parents to three awesome teens.  Join Heidi and I as we talk about:  what she loves about WNC what the people of WNC have had to grieve in the days, weeks, and mont...

If you've ever looked at a circumstance in your life and thought, "It's too late," this episode is for you! Joining me to talk about why you're not too late is my friend, author, speaker, and podcaster Rebecca George.  Rebecca is the author of multiple books, including her most recent  You're Not Too Late: Trusting God's Timing in a Hurry-Up World.  Join Rebecca and I as we talk about:  common fee...

How do you know when a pattern in your life is personality or preference, vs. when it has become dysfunctional?  And once you realize you've moved into unhealthy territory, how do you break the cycle and start a new path?  Two new friends of mine, Justin and Trisha Davis, are here to answer these questions and much, much more! Justin and Trisha are the founders of RefineUs Ministries, hosts of the...

Living whole is holy work, and it starts with getting honest with God.  My friend Jenn Jett Barrett and I got to dig deep on what she calls "the holy work of living whole," bringing our full selves to be with Jesus. Jenn Jett Barrett is the founder of The Well Summit, where she creates spaces for women to care for their souls in a way that is emotionally healthy.  Jenn is such a deep well. I loved...

What do you do in seasons of waiting, when your calling and God's timing aren't lining up the way you thought they would?   My friend Ashley Minor is here to talk about it with us! Ashley is a podcast host, writer, speaker, and ministry leader who has served with FCA at the University of Texas, Love Paced Race with Revelation Wellness, and more.  Join Ashley and I as we talk about:  our ideas abou...

Changing one little word shifted a whole mindset for me. Maybe it can do the same for you? So many times, we try to overhaul our lives all at once. All it takes is the turn of a calendar page, a big birthday, or a new school year for us to decide that THIS YEAR (or decade) IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT!  We go all in until reality reminds us "this is not sustainable," then we get discouraged, and we qu...

If you want to stay present in your life but get distracted by all of  this *waves around wildly*- this show is for you! We are digging into staying present, being intentional, and loving our people well with my friend, Sherri Crandall.  Sherri Crandall is the Vice President of Global Ministries and Leadership Experience for The MomCo by MOPS International. She is an author and speaker who encoura...

When you look up and realize you've taken a wrong turn or gone down the wrong path, how do you find your way back to God?  My friend Ashley Martin and I got to talk about it, and I'm excited to get to share this conversation with you! Ashley is a teacher turned writer and speaker, who has battled alcoholism and addiction, and who has been in recovery for 11 years now.  Join Ashley and I as we talk...

We may "know" God loves us in a general sense, but we have a hard time understanding His love and trusting His affection for us, personally.  My friend Rachael Adams and I got to have a great conversation all about understanding and trusting God's love for us, and I'm excited to get to share it with you today! Rachael is the host of The Love Offering podcast and the author of two devotional books,...

This past fall, a listener asked if we could talk about making friends as an adult after moving to a new place. My friend Neshe Lee Sloan is here to talk us through it! Neshe Lee Sloan is a writing coach and entrepreneur, wife, and mom of 3 boys. Not too long ago, she and her family moved from Arizona to North Carolina.  Neshe and I became friends shortly before they began the process of the big m...

How do we find our purpose? Is that the right question to ask? What does "purpose" even mean? Does everyone feel the pressure to find their purpose the way I do? When I started asking these types of questions, I knew my friend Danita Cummins was the one I wanted to help me sort through these things! Danita is the host of the Entrusted to Lead podcast and the author of Promise Over Purpose: Unveili...

Season 2 of The Bitter and the Sweet podcast is all about living wholeheartedly, and that begins with living intentionally! When I wanted to talk about living an intentional life, I knew my friend Cristina Slabic was the exact right person to join us for this conversation. Cristina is the author of  The Intentional Life: Cultivate Confidence, Build Your Boundaries, Protect Your Peace. As a time ma...

The Bitter and the Sweet podcast is a show where we tell the truth about grief, joy, and the grace that covers it all. I absolutely love getting to be with you every Tuesday for conversations like these!    In just 2 minutes, take a look back at where we've been in season 1, and where we are headed in season 2, holding nothing back as we live in relationship with God and the people He gave us.   ...

If you've ever felt the pressure to be "on" all the time- for your people, for your job, for the whole internet, or even for God- this episode is for you!   In our season finale (can you even believe it?!), we're talking about the ONE spiritual practice that I have found that relieves the pressure in my life like nothing else.   Spiritual disciplines are practices that connect us with God, and thi...

In our final guest episode of 2024 (another solo to come!) , we are digging into prayer with my friend Jackie Aviles.   Jackie is a writer and speaker who works with Go and Tell Gals , a pastor's wife, a mom, and a breast cancer survivor. Jackie is one of the most encouraging people I've ever met, and I'm thrilled for you to get to know her via the podcast today!    Join Jackie and I as we talk ab...

Our Comfort & Joy series continues this Advent, as we lean into spiritual disciplines (practices that connect us with God).    This conversation is all about two practices that are so hard to implement but so important for our souls: silence and solitude.   My friend Simi John is here to lead us in this, and I'm so excited for you to get to hear from her!   Simi is the author of I AM NOT , a Bible...

Advent is HERE, and I'm so excited to kick of our Advent series today!   "Comfort & Joy" is a series all about spiritual disciplines. If that doesn't sound very comforting or joyful, stick around! Walking with God is where we find the ultimate comfort and joy, and spiritual disciplines are just practices that help us do that.    Deep diving all things Scripture with us today is my friend, Lindsay...

If there is one thing I hope you take away from our grief and gratitude series, it's this: you don't have to choose.  In this solo show, I'm sharing:  a "what if" question about grief I can't quit thinking about misconceptions I've had about God and how He works two things God has used in my life- one happy, one sad- to break my illusion of control showing up for our lives and our people  why pers...

November is National Family Caregivers Month, and while I'm not currently a caregiver, I know how important this topic is. I knew the exact right person to join us, lead us, and teach us in this conversation!     Jess Ronne is the founder of The Lucas Project, a nonprofit that serves special needs families with recognition, resources, and respite. She is the creator of two documentaries, Unseen: H...

Some losses are so sudden and profound, you could have never seen them coming. That's the kind of loss we are talking about today.    Mallory Stokes was in the car with her twin sister, Mia, and two of their softball teammates when they were hit head on by a drunk driver. Tragically, Mia died instantly, and one of their teammates also lost her life.   Mallory is here today to share Mia's story, an...

When you're grieving, you know that, while THE world hasn't ended, it feels like YOUR world has.    My friend Dawn Mann Sanders deeply understands this feeling, so much so that she wrote the book on it: When Your World Ends: God's Creative Process for Rebuilding a Life . Dawn is brilliant and wise and also funny, which counts a lot around here :)    Join Dawn and I as we talk about:  what happens...